Corporate Films in English – How Does It Work and Is It Worth It?

Corporate films in English are an effective way to take your company international. Find out how it works and whether it pays off for you.

Corporate films in English – how does it work and is it worth it?

For companies, a corporate film is a must-have. It strengthens your existing image or gives viewers a first impression of your company.

A corporate film is a powerful marketing tool. It can convey information, emotions, brand value and corporate identity all at once, it touches viewers’ hearts and it helps knowledge stick. So much for corporate films in general – but what does it mean to have a corporate film in English, and when is it worth it?

If you are not yet sure what exactly a corporate film is, you can read our definition here.

If you have customers abroad or want to win them, a corporate film in English is the logical next step. A corporate film is simply part of a good marketing strategy – and corporate films in English matter especially if you want to expand. With around 1.5 billion speakers, English is the most widely spoken language in the world (Ethnologue 2026) and an official language in 58 countries – so it is not only the UK and the US that offer a huge market of new customers. A corporate film in English therefore attracts attention and encourages customers to find out more about your company. But how much work is it to produce your corporate film in English?

A corporate film is simply part of a good marketing strategy – and corporate films in English matter especially if you don’t want to limit yourself to the German market.

What does the process involve?

There are four steps to successfully translating your corporate film into English.

1. Translating the script

   First, the German version is translated into a draft English script. To keep pace, emphasis and impact identical, several versions are written. In the end, the version that best fits the video and has the same impact as the German original is chosen. 
   Of course, this isn’t done with just any translation tool – professional translators or native speakers who speak both languages are brought in. As a business owner, you don’t have to deal with any of this, because the film production company takes care of it all.

2. Casting
   

   The next step is casting the voice you want to use. Familiar voices from films and series have the strongest effect, because most people know them, which creates a sense of recognition.

   There is also the difference between US and UK voice-over artists, who in some cases appeal more to their own nationality.
   It is advisable to use a voice-over artist who speaks English well, or to go straight to a native speaker, because this goes down better with your target audience than mediocre English from a German speaker.

3. Recording

   After casting comes the recording of the translated script. To avoid mistakes, several takes are recorded with slightly different emphasis. This gives you a choice between different recordings later in the edit, so the best one can be picked.

   Because the sound of a video subconsciously determines how viewers judge its overall quality, a clean and clear recording is especially important here. Background noise and hiss must be strictly avoided.

4. Editing

   Finally, the recordings are combined with the footage. The voice-over is placed at exactly the right points so that the video works just as well as the original version. This is how we at Pathfinder Studios have already taken many projects to an international level.

What are the benefits of an English corporate film? 

Corporate films in English offer several benefits. For one, they give your company an international feel and the reach that can help you win more customers abroad. For another, they can make your company attractive to audiences abroad, who may then feel less tied to considering only products and services from their own country.

What’s more, the costs of such a project are comparatively low.

Checklist: how can I tell whether the price is fair?

The following questions can help you assess it:

• Are the costs listed clearly and transparently?
• Are the equipment, the size of the crew and their experience specified?
• Are external costs (e.g. actors, models, voice-over artists, music) already included?
• Is the quote based on a concept, and can I compare it with other films?
• Do the prices reflect the film production company’s experience and expertise?

Is a corporate film worth it?

The job of a film production company like Pathfinder Studios is to strike the best possible balance between price and quality. Film may be magic, but of course we can’t work miracles. Even so, a reputable producer will always aim to reach a realistic goal on an appropriate budget – adjusting in one direction or the other, depending on whether a fixed budget ceiling or fully achieving your goal matters more to you.

Our tip: think of the cost of a corporate film like the cost of a car. Below €5,000 the options become very thin; above €70,000 you are already in the premium price segment.

By the way: when a corporate film is done right, it is not an expense but an investment that can even pay for itself several times over. Read here why price is actually the wrong question and how you can calculate the return on investment.

Our conclusion: corporate films in English

If you have customers abroad or want to win customers abroad, it makes sense to translate your corporate films into English. The best way to do this is, of course, to work with a film production company.